Page 77 of The First Chord

“That’ll be because you’re too bothered about a certain blonde.” Joey winked at me. “How was it?”

“Why can’t you two keep your voices down?”

“He can’t hear us.” Joey echoed Beau’s words earlier. “So?”

I couldn’t help smiling as memories of the day before flashed through my head. “It was good. We had a great time.”

“Was it romantic?”

“Fuck off, Beau.”

“I’m being serious,” he insisted, looking me directly in the eyes, his full of sincerity. “Was it?”

“Shit, you have changed.”

“I’ve always loved romance,” he protested. “Big fan.”

“Just tell him,” Joey said with a groan. “Otherwise, he’ll keep on at you and I’m trying to enjoy my breakfast.”

Sighing I said, “Yeah, it was very romantic. We went up the Eiffel tower just as the lights started twinkling.”

“That all you went up?” Joey asked, sniggering to himself.

Beau smacked him around the back of the head. “Prick. Did you, though?”

They thought they were fucking hilarious, and both burst out laughing. I chose to ignore them and drank my coffee instead. While they chuckled away to themselves, my attention was taken by the door to the dining room as Amber walked in.

She looked amazing in another summer dress and flip flops. This dress was bright red, which matched her lipstick, while her hair fell over her shoulders and down her back in long, blonde waves.

My breath stalled and my heart jumped at the sight of her. My throat went dry, and I knew without doubt that I was falling in love with her. There would be no stopping it. Like driving off a cliff, no matter how much I screamed, pressed my foot to the brake, or turned the steering wheel, there was only one place that I was heading.

Immediately her eyes slid to me, and when her footsteps faltered and she placed a hand on her chest, I instinctively knew that she was feeling exactly the same as I was. We were falling in love. It might be frowned upon and wasn’t going to be easy, but we were both committed. Our hearts were involved and there was no going back.

“Oh fuck,” Beau groaned. “Ronnie, don’t do anything stupid.”

It was then that my eyes moved away from Amber, and I spotted him; Jimmy Fox striding towards his wife, and there was hatred written all over his face.

CHAPTER34

AMBER

Falling in love was nervousness. It was being unable to eat, having a dry mouth, being excited. It was desperation and need. It was the best feeling in the world. It made your heart beat faster. It was wow.

Over the last month I’d felt safe, at times I felt on top of the world, and I had one person on my mind. My head had caught up with my heart and I was tumbling fast. It was scary but it was also exhilarating realising that Ronnie was the man I wanted to be with. The one who I couldn’t imagine being without. The man who I was falling in love with.

As soon as I saw him in the private dining room the bands had been given, the breath rushed from my lungs and caught on a gasp. My heart jumped so hard I had to slap a hand to my chest because I was worried it was going to burst out and land at my feet.

He was sitting at a table with Beau and Joey, eating breakfast and looking handsome, hot, and sexy. I took a few seconds to drink him in. His broad shoulders and chest stretching out the white t-shirt he was wearing, and his biceps bulging as he lifted his toast to his mouth. A face as gorgeous as his body. Straight nose, a square chin with a small dimple, that I’d spent a restless night thinking about kissing, and dirty blond hair that often fell in front of his eyes. He was boyishly handsome with a stubbled chin that gave him an edge.

When something distracted me from staring at the gorgeous man across the room, I barely glanced but then it registered what it was. Jimmy was stalking towards me, and he didn’t look happy. I had a feeling that I knew why.

His fists were clenched and the sight of them brought a spike of fear to my chest. As he advanced, I heard Ronnie’s roar.

“Jimmy, stay the hell away from her.”

I looked back to him to see he was flanked by Beau and Joey, and they were moving in my direction. My head darted back to Jimmy who was looking at Ronnie, but still coming towards me. Clearly, he wasn’t taking heed of the warning.

“Jimmy,” it was Beau’s deep growl which came next. “Do as you’re told and keep away from her.”

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